Long Way Down
by Becchan
Summary: [Winner of Lys and Kyra's Odd Couple Contest *snickers* Wow, that was a long time ago...] A teenaged Iori thinks his life is over... but it's amazing who can pull you out of the quicksand. Shounen-ai.


Author's Notes: I did it! I'm so proud of myself!! I finished my entry for Kyra and ~Lys~'s content! ::grin:: I hope y'all like it! And oh, yeah:  
  
Disclaimer: I dun own Digimon ... sadly... OH! and the song is "Thief" by Our Lady Peace *YEAH!*  
  
  
**  
Long Way Down**  
  
  
Everyone sees the world differently. Like we all have different fingerprints, each person has a different viewpoint on the facts of life.  
  
**_I don't wanna understand this horror..._**  
  
Some people see it like a pool of quicksand. The further you go into it, the more you're caught up in the mess, and the father you sink.  
  
And to others, life is a jigsaw puzzle. If you can fit everything together _just right_, it'll be absolutely beautiful. But, if some pieces are missing, it's totally worthless.  
  
**_There's a weight in your eyes..._**  
  
Finally, some look at it like it's a glazed doughnut. They only think about the sweet, pleasant exterior, without stopping to wonder what could be hidden underneath. You know how much these people miss out on?  
  
A _lot.  
  
**I can't admit...**_  
  
There's usually so much more than what you can extract from one bite, one taste, one look. _So_ much more.  
  
For example:  
  
Ken Ichijouchi.  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
**_Everybody ends up here..._**  
  
It was winter. The last leaf had fallen, the last bird flown south, and the last vegetable picked from the small gardens of the people in downtown Tokyo. A chilled breeze wafted throughout the streets, rustling the leaves and litter and causing a young man to pull his windbreaker more tightly about his shoulders.  
  
At first glance, he seemed like a normal teenager. Just a regular eighteen-year-old boy walking home from a long day of school and work.  
  
**_In bottles...  
_**  
If, however, you were one of the few people who took a double take, you would see that he didn't look quite so commonplace. The way he walked, with a regal air about him, made it seem almost like he were an emperor of some sort. He had beautiful purple-blue eyes, that, on close examination, reminded one strangely of a pond in wintertime. You know _something's_ under the ice, but it's just too well hidden to tell exactly what.   
  
**_But the nametag's the last thing you wanted..._**  
  
A sudden gust of wind sent the street debris flying, and as everything resettled, am old newspaper settled before Ken's feet.  
  
**_As the world explodes...  
We fall out of it..._**  
  
"Stupid litterbugs," the blue-haired boy muttered, as he bent to pick it up. He was about to toss it into a nearby garbage bin, when he noticed the headline on the page.   
  
**_And we can't let go...  
Because this will never go away..._**  
  
"_Preteens Victorious in Fight for Earth_," he read softly to himself. Below the title was a picture. Ken's eyes shifted from face to familiar face, taking them all in... Davis, the aggressive, lively young leader... Yolei, nice, but slightly spoiled and outspoken... T. K., the happy-go-lucky basketball star... Kari, seemingly perfect, but with her own faults like the rest ... and Cody, the cute, serious little boy...  
  
_Cute..._?  
  
Ken smiled. Yeah, he was cute.  
  
**_There's a house built out in space..._**  
  
He carefully tore out the article, folded it, and placed it in his pocket. It was a good memento. The other Digidestined children had been practically his only real friends his whole life... That is, after he had stopped trying to kill them. It was nice to be reminded of their comradeship sometimes.   
**_  
I can't see that thief that lives inside of your head...  
But I can be some courage at the side of your bed..._**  
  
The wind started up again, and the young man ducked into an alleyway to stay warm. He tugged his jacket more tightly around his thin frame and glanced around. For the first time he noticed a figure in the shadows at the end of the passage. A boy, perhaps a little younger than himself. With a _knife_?  
  
**_And I don't know what's happening...  
And I can't pretend...  
But I can be your..._**  
**Be your...  
**  
Ken stared as the teenager, who looked somehow familiar, passed his fingers through short brown hair and raised the knife to rest it on one of his wrists. Ken's mouth fell open as he realized who the person was.  
  
**_Someone help us understand...  
Who ordered..._**  
  
"_Cody Hida_?" He stood, shocked at the spectacle before him.  
  
The figure whirled around, dropping the knife, green eyes narrowed in suspicion. He looked at Ken for a moment, then his expression softened the slightest bit. "Ken Ichijouchi. What do you want?"  
**_  
This disgusting arrangement of time and "the end"..._**  
  
"Cody, what are you doing?" he replied, stepping towards the younger boy.  
  
He glared. "Go away, Ken."  
  
**_I don't wanna hear who walked on water...  
'Cause the hallways are empty..._**  
  
"No way! Cody, c'mon, what are you doing? You can tell me." Ken began walking towards him.  
  
**_Clocks tick...  
As the world implodes...  
_**  
Cody shifted his gaze to the ground. "I'm leaving. There's nothing left for me here. Everything and everyone I've ever cared about is gone. I'm worthless."  
  
Ken's brow furrowed. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?"  
  
**_We fall into it...  
And we can't go home...  
Because this will not go away..._**  
  
The younger boy smiled sardonically. "You didn't know, did you? They're gone. All of them."  
  
**_There's a house built out in space...  
_**  
"H-how?"  
  
"Do we have to talk about this?" Cody bit his lip.  
  
**_I can't see that thief that lives inside of your head..._**  
  
"Oh, Cody... I'm sorry for bringing up a harsh subject..."  
  
**_But I can be some courage at the side of your bed..._**  
  
"It's okay. It's just that ... well, my Grandfather ... then them and ... my-my mother..." Ken noticed a tear sliding down his friend's cheek, leaving a silvery wet tail down Cody's temple. He took another step forward and hugged the smaller boy tightly, rocking him slowly as he grieved.  
  
**_And I don't know what's happening...  
And I can't pretend...  
But I can be your...  
Be your...  
_**  
"Shh... It's okay, Cody..." He held Cody until there were no more tears, and then a bit longer. After that, he lead the brunette to a nearby bench and sat him down. "Now ... can you tell me what happened?"  
  
The smaller boy let out a shuddering sigh. "About two years ago ... there was a drive-by shooting in Odaiba. I trust you heard about it?"  
  
Ken thought for a moment. "Mmhmm..."  
  
**_It's a long, long getaway...  
It's a long, long getaway..._**  
  
"Two children were killing in that shooting..." Cody swallowed hard. "Yolei, and T. K. ... It would have been Yolei and Kari, but T. K. pushed her out of the way..." He smiled softly. "Typical, no?"  
  
Ken gave him a small grin. "Yeah."  
  
**_Make it home again...  
Make it home again..._**  
  
"Well ... after T. K. died, Kari was never the same... She didn't eat, or sleep, or talk to anyone... One day, her Mom went to her room to check up on her, and she was dead. Just lying in her bed, looking for all the world like a sleeping child... And she was smiling..." Cody chuckled ruefully. "I guess we had all seen that coming...  
  
"A few months after Kari passed away, Davis disappeared. Two weeks later, they found his body. He had killed himself."  
  
**_It's a long, long getaway...  
It's a long, long getaway..._**  
  
Ken's mouth fell open. "Davis? But he was always so happy ... so determined..."  
  
**_I can't see that thief that lives inside of your head..._**  
  
"I guess he felt the same way I do now." Cody shrugged. "He felt worthless... Everything he knew and loved was gone..."  
  
"But, Cody ... everything's _not_ gone. You're still young. You could lead a great life!" The blue-haired boy appealed to him.  
  
**_But I can be some courage at the side of your bed..._**  
  
"That's easy for you to say, Ken Ichijouchi!" Cody jumped up from where he was sitting. "YOU weren't there! YOU have a life! YOU didn't have to live through the death of everyone who ever cared about you! You don't have to live on the streets, because your Mom died of cancer when you were fourteen. You have a _life_ ... a good life! You KNOW your dad!" The boy's voice softened. "You're not just a homeless good-for-nothing rat... You have a _home_... People care about you... No one cares about me..."  
  
**_And I don't know what's happening..._**  
  
"Oh, Cody... You're wrong about that..." Ken lifted his chin so he was facing him. "_I_ care about you..."   
  
"You do?"  
  
Ken leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the boy's lips. "Yeah..."  
**_  
And I can't pretend..._**  
  
Cody threw him self into Ken's arms and began sobbing again. "Ken... I'm so sorry..."  
  
The older teenager closed his eyes and put his arms around Cody. After a few minutes, he smaller boy untangled himself from Ken's arms, wiping a last tear from his eye. "I'm so sorry..."  
  
**_But I can be your..._**  
  
Ken smiled down at him, then stood up and pulled Cody to his feet. "Come on, let's go home..." He said, putting an arm around the boy's shoulders.  
  
**_Be your..._**  
  
Cody snuggled closer to Ken, and they began towards Ken's apartment.  
  
_Cute?_  
  
Yeah, cute...  
  
**_It's a long, long getaway..._**  
  
  
  
OWARI  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Wow... that was... interesting... HEY! You people actually read all the way through my jibber-jabber and survived! Woah! Hehe... okay, well, I hafta go make sure the brainless rodent (aka George W. Bush) doesn't get to be Prez... (Sorry Bush fans! ^.^;;) SO! Please review, leave your e-mail! OR:  
  
Send me comments at RedHedd10@aol.com  
  
Once again, this was for Kyra and ~Lys~'s contest! Hope ya liked it, Kyra-chan, Lyssie-chan!  
  
~*Bec-chan*~  
  
  
  



End file.
